


Slow Love Song

by SecretEvening



Category: Carole & Tuesday (Anime)
Genre: Cute, F/F, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, One Shot, Post-Season/Series 01, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 16:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19360933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretEvening/pseuds/SecretEvening
Summary: Upon reflection, Carole isn't quite sure why she assumed that Tuesday was straight. But when Tuesday confides that she's struggling with conflicted, confusing feelings about Cybelle, Carole realizes that her assumptions were wrong. All of a sudden, the little infatuation she has been diligently ignoring is blooming into a full-blown crush.





	Slow Love Song

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE ABOUT TIMELINES: This fic takes place an unspecified amount of time after the events of the first season. I tried to keep the stuff that happened in between as vague as possible, since I really have no idea what direction the show is going to go from here. The events of this fic assume that they've become successful, but not insanely famous, and that they still live in the same apartment that they do in the show.

The sound of an ambulance driving past outside, siren blaring, startles Carole out of her sleep. She grumbles and readjusts her head on the pillow, burying her face deeper into the softness, as if that will balance out the sharp disturbance. Her face scrunches up, eyes closed tight and pillow pressed over her ears until the siren fades in the distance and the air becomes quiet once again. She settles back in, trying to drift off, when another sound reaches her.

A quiet sniffling noise, only barely audible. Carole lifts her head off the pillow and listens more closely. A tiny, muffled sob trickles through the apartment, almost drowned out by the white noise of the city outside.

Carole’s brow furrows with concern, and she disentagles herself from her blankets, standing up and walking to the edge of the railing overlooking the lower half of the space. The shapes are grey and difficult to distinguish in the dark, but she can see the couch where Tuesday sleeps. Only Tuesday isn’t asleep. She’s sitting upright, curled up into a ball with her arms wrapped around her knees, pulling them tight against her body, with her face buried into the space in between.

Another tiny sob.

Carole frowns, and pads gingerly down the stairs to the lower level, trying not to startle her. She walks over and takes a seat on the couch next to Tuesday, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

“What’s up Tues?” She keeps her voice quiet and gentle, rubbing soothing circles against Tuesday’s shoulder with her thumb. Tuesday just shakes her head and makes a choked, hiccupy noise.

“Alright. How about I grab you some water then?” Tuesday pauses for a moment, and then gives a small nod. “Cool, I’ll be right back.”

She pops over to the kitchen and starts filling a glass from the tap, glancing over at the couch every few seconds, as if Tuesday might fall apart if left alone for even a moment. When she brings it over, she presses the cool glass against the top of Tuesday’s knee to grab her attention. Tuesday’s head picks up slightly, just enough that her eyes peek out over her knees. Then she releases the tight grip on her legs and takes the glass in both hands. She uncurls slightly, letting her legs relax away from her body a bit so she can clutch the glass close to her chest and take small sips. Carole takes her place beside her again. They sit in silence for a while, pressed up side to side as Tuesday sips at her water, sniffling occasionally.

“What’s got my favorite girl so down?” Carole tilts her head to the side to glance over at Tuesday. She’s stopped taking sips as frequently, and is absentmindedly brushing a finger up and down the side of the glass. There’s a long pause before she answers.

“I’ve been thinking about Cybelle” she murmurs. Carole frowns and places a hand on Tuesday’s shoulder.

“Hey, she’s gone. You’re not gonna be seeing that creep around ever again. You’re safe.”

“That’s not…” Tuesday trails off, shaking her head slightly. “I’m not scared. I just… maybe I shouldn’t have turned her down.”

“What? No, Tuesday, you know that’s not true, she was dangerous! She hurt you!”

“No, no, I know! But…” Tuesday shakes her head again, and a new wave of tears begins to trail from her eyes. Her eyes dart over to look at Carole’s concerned expression, and then quickly flit away. She hangs her head, so that she can’t see Carole’s face. Her fingers fiddle nervously around the glass, and her voice is hesitant and stuttery.

“She’s the only girl that’s ever been interested in me.” Tuesday whispers. Carole’s eyes widen in surprise. Okay, she thinks to herself, Tuesday’s not straight. That’s news. “Did I tell you that she bit me?”

“She what?!” Carole gasps. Tuesday nods, and her hand trails up to a spot in the crook of her neck, brushing back her hair so her fingers can touch the skin there. “Tuesday that’s so messed up!” Tuesday nods again, and her body hiccups with fresh sobs.

“I know, and it hurt, and I don’t like her like that. But I’ve never been touched like that by another girl and…” She pauses to wrest her crying under control and keep her voice even. When she resumes her voice is a frantic whisper, laden with shame. “Part of me really liked it.”

Tuesday draws her knees back up close to her chest and buries her face again, refusing to look at Carole. Carole struggles for words, trying to find a way to comfort her friend.

“And all I can think about,” Tuesday continues, “is what if that’s all I can get? Yeah, she was creepy and unstable, but at least she  _ liked _ me. I’ve never had another girl like me like that.”

Carole opens her mouth and takes in a breath, but then closes it, as if she wanted to speak, but thought better of it. She sighs heavily and wraps her arms around Tuesday, pulling her into a tight hug, Tuesday’s head pressed against her chest, tears leaving damp spots on her nightshirt. She rests her cheek on the top of Tuesday’s head.

“It’s alright Tues. You’re not gonna end up alone, okay? I promise.” Tuesday gives a tiny nod against Carole’s shoulder and pushes in closer, trying to get as much contact as possible between her body and Carole’s warmth. Carole runs her hand soothingly up and down Tuesday’s back, holding her in place as the sobs jolt through her body.

“Here.” Carole says, and takes the glass of water out of Tuesday’s hand, setting it on the coffee table and then drawing her in even tighter. “It’s okay if you liked it. That doesn’t mean you actually wanted to be with her.” Her lips curl into a slight smile. “Besides, she wasn’t nearly cool enough to be with you. Like, she didn’t even make it past the first round.”

Tuesday giggles a little, the noise coming out a bit choked due to the tears. She pulls away from Carole’s shoulder so that she can see, but stays wrapped in her arms. Carole brings her hand up and brushes away a tear with her thumb.

“How’s my favorite girl?” Carole asks, and Tuesday just gives her a nod and a small smile. “Good.”

They sit together for a while, enjoying the quiet as Tuesday’s breathing evens out and her tears subside. Carole brushes her fingers through Tuesday’s hair, and Tuesday relaxes, resting her head on her shoulder. Carole closes her eyes, enjoying the warmth of their bodies pressed together and the silky texture of Tuesday’s hair. After a while she looks down, and realizes that Tuesday has fallen asleep. She starts shifting away from her, trying to return to bed without waking her, but a disapproving hum and a hand clenching tighter around her waist keeps her there. Carole smiles, and settles back down, closing her eyes and letting herself drift off.

* * *

 

It takes Tuesday two weeks to notice that anything has changed. Carole is acting different, looking at her different, though she can’t say exactly how. There are these moments, where the two of them are practicing together, and they’re looking at one another, and there’s something in Carole’s eyes that she can’t place. It feels familiar, like it has always been there, but it’s somehow stronger, more visible now. It’s not unusual for them to lock eyes while they sing together, but now those gazes last longer, and there’s something about them that feels momentous.

Tuesday isn’t quite sure what it means, but she doesn’t want it to stop.

Her pen scratches along the paper of her notebook, jotting down ideas for lyrics. A pause, as she purses her lips and hums thoughtfully, then resumes writing after a few seconds. It’s a bright, sunny afternoon, and she’s sitting on a bench by the waterfront, in the spot the two of them usually like to visit. Carole is busy elsewhere today, although she was kind of vague about where she was going. Tuesday is using the alone time to parse through the confusing thoughts she’s been having, trying to translate the difference she feels into song. Her guitar is resting on the bench beside her, and on occasion she picks it up and noodles a little bit, searching for a rhythm to match her words to.

She closes her eyes. It’s a swelteringly hot day, even with the help of the shade she’s sitting in. A pang of regret shoots through her at the decision to not bring a water bottle along with her. That thought brings memories to the forefront of her mind.Memories of a month or two ago, when Carole tried to teach her how to ride her skateboard, and after a long afternoon in the sun, bought two water bottles from a vending machine nearby and tossed one to her before she even realized she was thirsty. Memories of the other night, of Carole bringing her the glass of water when she was crying. 

Tuesday smiles. Carole looks after her, but not in the watchful, controlling way that her family used to. She makes her feel safe. The thought brings a light, fluttering warmth to her chest, a warmth that is calming and pleasant despite how overheated her body feels from the summer sun.

That’s when the words click into place in her head. Warmth. That’s what she sees in Carole’s eyes.

There’s a tap on her shoulder. She opens her eyes, and sees an ice cream cone being held a few feet in front of her face. Carole is standing next to her, licking at her own ice cream and holding a second cone out for Tuesday.

“Oh, I didn’t expect you back so soon!” Tuesday chirps, and takes the cone from Carole’s hand.

“I couldn’t tell if you were having an intense brainstorming session or just taking a nap.”

“The first one. But I was definitely on my way towards the second one.”

“Excuse me, hummingbird,” Carole says, picking up the guitar and moving it so that she can sit down on the bench, “Well if you’re planning on the second one, you should probably wait until we’re back at home. If you napped out here I’m pretty sure you’d be a puddle by the time you woke up.”

Tuesday stills, sorting through her thoughts. Then it clicks, and she writes the lyrics down in her notebook.

_ Feels like I could melt _

_ Under the warmth in your eyes _

* * *

 

“Alright, that’s it everyone, we’re done for the day!” The director calls out. Carole lets out a sigh of relief and leans against the concrete wall behind her, wiping the sweat off her brow. Shooting a music video is way more tiring when you are working with people who actually know what they’re doing. The schedule is tighter, and there’s less time to goof around and catch your breath. It feels a little weird to be shooting a music video that has an actual budget, but she’s certainly not going to complain.

She takes a swig from a bottle of water, and glances over to where Marie is packing up her kit. While having a budget means that they don’t need to rely on favors to get things done, Carole and Tuesday had still wanted to work with Marie for makeup and hair, since she had been so kind and helpful before. Carole watches her pack, brow furrowed, pondering. She’s so absorbed in her thoughts that she lets out a little yelp of surprise when Tuesday wraps her up in a sudden, tight hug

“I can’t believe we’re really doing this Carole!” she chirps happily, “We’re gonna be in an actual, proper music video.” Carole grins and hugs her back.

“I’m just glad that poor Roddy doesn’t need to tire himself out dancing so much this time.” Tuesday giggles and buries her face in Carole’s shoulder. She loosens her grip, but doesn’t let go, instead choosing to relax against her, staying wrapped in each other’s arms for far longer than a simple hug would warrant. Carole hesitates, staying stiff and tense for a few more moments, her face flushed, before relaxing too, a small smile playing across her face.

“I’m really sleepy, do you want to head home for the night?” Tuesday murmurs into the fabric of Carole’s tank top. Carole stills, flicking her eyes over to Marie on the other side of the room.

“I think I’m gonna stay out for a little while, maybe get something to eat. Why don’t you head back, I don’t want to keep you up if you’re tired.”

“Hey you two, we’re heading out, you coming?” Roddy calls out to them from across the room. Tuesday breaks the hug, and jogs over to where Gus and Roddy are waiting, waving to Carole as she joins them and the three of them leave together. Carole takes a deep breath to steady her nerves, and walks over to where Marie is finishing up packing.

“Not heading out with the others?” Marie asks.

“Yeah, um, about that,” Carole begins, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly, “I don’t know if you’ve got time, but I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about something. Could we grab some dinner or something and talk?” Marie looks at her with surprise in her eyes, but then they narrow, and her lips tilt up into a faint, knowing smirk.

“I think I know just the place.”

The two of them hop on to Marie’s motorcycle and head out. At first Carole tries to be polite make small talk while they’re dropping Marie’s supplies off at her studio, but she discovers that Marie isn’t much for idle chit chat. Carole gratefully drops the pretense and they make their way to the restaurant in comfortable silence. It turns out to be an odd place, initially appearing to be a tiny, hole in the wall kind of diner, but moving down a hallway reveals that the restaurant stretches back fairly far despite the narrow front section, and there’s a few cozy, secluded tables in the back. The sun is dipping below the horizon outside, and the lights inside are a soft shade of orange, casting a fairly dim light along the dark hardwood tables. They order food and get their drinks, still not saying much to one another. Eventually, Marie leans back in her chair, crossing her legs and taking a long, slow sip of her margarita.

“So you’re having girl problems.” Marie says at length. Carole’s face gets hot, and she stammers for a moment, before averting her eyes and grumbling,

“How did you know that?”

“It’s not hard to figure out,” Marie chuckles, “It’s not like you and I are close, and I can’t think of anything else that would make you come to me, as opposed to anyone else that you know better than me.”

“Sorry, I know you don’t know me very well, I didn’t mean to drag you out here.”

“Nonsense dear. I’m very fond of you and Tuesday, I’m glad I can help.” Marie dismisses her concerns with a casual wave of her hand. Carole nods, keeping her gaze fixed on her hands, clasped around the glass of soda she ordered.

“There’s this girl. And I love her so much I can’t stand it. I wouldn’t normally be so nervous about this thing, but… I’m not sure that telling her how I feel would be a good idea.”

“You think she’s straight?”

“No! Sort of the opposite problem actually.” Carole trails off into a mumble, and Marie just raises a questioning eyebrow, taking another sip of her drink. “I think if I asked, she would say yes, even if she didn’t actually like me.”

“Well, Tuesday can be pretty passive, I can see why you would be concerned.”

“It’s not even just her personality, we had this conversation where-wa-wait a moment! I never said it was Tuesday!” Carole stammers defensively. Marie breaks out into a full-on laugh, and Carole folds her arms over her chest.

“Of course it’s Tuesday dear, I’ve only met with you two a few times and I already know it couldn’t be anyone else.”

“Alright, fine.” Carole unfolds her arms and rolls her eyes, a beleaguered grin on her face.

“She’s a very sweet girl.”

“She is,” Carole says, and while her skin may not show a blush as clearly as Tuesday’s does, it’s making a damn good effort. “I’ve never cared about anyone this much before. I’ve been on my own for my whole life, this is new to me. This… this is important to me.” She takes a deep breath to steady herself, leaning back with her arm slung horizontal over the top of her chair. “I don’t want her to say yes just because she’s afraid no one else will ever ask her.”

Marie is staring at her intently, with rapt attention.

“Does she know you like girls?” She asks, and Carole shakes her head. She takes a deep breath and breaks off her stare, her eyes looking to the side, unfocused, her mouth pulled into a thin line as she thinks. “I think that’s your move.”

“Tell her I like girls?”

“Yes. I think you’re being smart here Carole. If you’re worried that making the first move might pressure her too much, you have to let her come to you. However, she’s never going to do that if she isn’t sure you’re available.”

Carole grins and sits up straight, suddenly energized. “Oh, I think I get it! If she finds out I like girls, she’ll realize that I’m an option and make a move!”

“It’s not an ideal strategy, unfortunately. Even if you show her you’re open to it, she’s a pretty nervous girl.”

“But that’s the thing, even if she doesn’t, I’ll be able to see how she reacts, and I’ll be able to get a better idea of how she feels about it.” Carole rambles excitedly. Marie grins and snaps her fingers, pointing at her.

“Exactly. You’ve got it.” At that point, the waiter brings out their food, and they start to dig in. Carole’s mind races with ideas, thinking through how to let slip that she likes girls in casual conversation without making it obvious.

“Thanks for talking about this with me Marie.”

“It’s always fun to help out the baby gays, you’re always so clueless.” Marie smirks, and Carole huffs at her with mock offence. The two of them laugh, and keep working on their food. In the end, Marie insists on treating Carole, despite her protests. It’s late by the time she gets home, but the lights are still on. As she walks in she sees Tuesday, sitting up on the couch with her head slumped to the side, snoring lightly, having fallen asleep while she was waiting for Carole to get back.

* * *

 

When the music video is officially released, Gus insists that they all go out to celebrate. He brings the two of them and Roddy out to a bar, since they’re all 18 now, and old enough to drink. Carole considers protesting, since she doesn’t usually like to drink, but decides to go along and let them all have their fun. Tuesday, to Carole’s surprise, actually does like to drink, immediately ordering the fruitiest, most sugary cocktail the bar offers, and getting giggly and a little unsteady after only two of them. Roddy reveals that he doesn’t know anything at all about alcohol, and Gus begins to enthusiastically mentor him in the various subtleties of whiskey. Carole sticks to soda, although after the first one Gus and Tuesday manage to convince her to start having them with a little bit of rum.

It isn’t long before all of them are a bit red in the face. They leave the bar, deciding to hop along and find another place to keep going. Carole discovers that Tuesday becomes extremely excitable when she’s tipsy, and very difficult to contain. When she spots a noraebang place, she practically drags them inside, despite Gus’ grumbled protests.They get their private room and start pulling up songs. Tuesday even manages to convince Gus to begrudgingly sing one of the songs from his old band that happens to be on the songlist.

As it gets later and later, everyone starts to lose a bit of energy, and Gus and Roddy call it a night, leaving Carole and Tuesday on their own in the noraebang room. They sing a few more songs together, and then take a minute to relax, sitting on the couch and letting their singing voices rest.

Carole relaxes in her seat and soaks in the moment. Tuesday is sitting right next to her, pressed up against her side, resting her head on Carole’s shoulder. It’s a little too warm, but Carole guesses that some of that is from the alcohol, which is mostly gone from her system at this point, leaving only a slight buzz. A coil of emotion spreads through her body, soft and quiet, but powerful. It relaxes her and floods up into her eyes, where a few tears start to form.

“Oh no, are you alright Carole?” Tuesday exclaims worriedly after noticing her face. Carole just grins and tilts her head a little to look at Tuesday, who is glancing up at her from where she’s curled up against her side.

“Yeah, don’t worry Tues. I’m really happy actually.”

Tuesday smiles, and that soft feeling swirls around Carole’s heart when she sees that warm, genuine smile. “Good, because tonight we’re supposed to be celebrating. You’re not allowed to be sad.” She hiccups, still a bit tipsy, and Carole giggles. “What’s making you feel so happy? Normally I’m the one who gets all sentimental over this kind of stuff.” Carole thinks for a minute, organizing her thoughts into something coherent.

“I guess I’ve never really had this before.”

Tuesday tilts her head and gives her a quizzical look.

“Well, I mean, you know about how I grew up. I’ve been on my own basically my whole life. But now… I’ve got you. And I’ve got Roddy. And hell, I’ve even got Gus, as much as he annoys me. I’m not used to people wanting to stick around.” At that last sentence Tuesday pulls away a bit and pulls herself up to sit upright, with a slightly angry, almost offended expression on her face, halfway between a pout and a scowl.

“Why would anyone not want to stick around with you. You’re, you’re…” she trails off, searching for words, “You’re the best.” she settles on with a definitive nod of her head. Carole chuckles, but looks away, not meeting Tuesday’s eyes anymore.

“I don’t know why, that’s just how it’s always been. My parents weren’t there. The people who ran the orphanage never really cared. I made one or two friends when I was little, but they got adopted, and after that they never tried to stay in touch.” She glances back over at Tuesday, and then freezes, seeing Tuesday’s face welling up with tears, an absolutely devastated look on her face. “Oh hey, Tuesday, don’t cry, I’m okay now!” she tries to reassure her, but it’s too late. Tuesday flings her arms around Carole in a giant, tearful hug.

“Those jerks don’t know what they were missing out on!” Tuesday huffs, the words slightly muffled, since her mouth is pressed into the hair on the top of Carole’s head. Carole closes her eyes and relaxes into Tuesday’s arms, her smile hidden within the crook of her neck. They stay like that for a while, Tuesday insistent on making sure that Carole is sufficiently comforted, before pulling apart again.”I knew about your parents, but I guess I figured that you must have made some friends after you got out of the orphanage.”

Carole shakes her head, but then she laughs a little, “Why do you think it would be so easy for me to make friends?”

“I don’t know,” Tuesday huffs, averting her eyes and flushing a bit with embarrassment, “You’re so cool, I figured you must have had tons of friends, and like, boyfriends and stuff.”

“Nope. There was one time when I had a pretty big crush on a-” she cuts herself off right before she says the word  _ boy. _ This is an opportunity, she decides, and she’s going to use it. “On, uh, on this girl I knew. But she ended up moving away, and I never saw her again.”

Tuesday goes very still for a moment. The pause before she responds is just a beat too long, just that tiniest amount longer than she usually takes to keep the conversation going. She picks her head back up to meet Carole’s eyes. Both of her hands reach out to grasp one of Carole’s, and she clasps it firmly. The look in her eyes is suddenly determined and serious.

“Well I can’t say anything for Roddy or Gus, but… I’m not going anywhere.”

* * *

 

Carole notices that something is different almost right away. Tuesday is acting different around her, and while she’s clearly trying not to be conspicuous about it, she’s never been good at being subtle. She has always been a nervous person, but in the past it always seemed like she was comfortable around Carole. And now she isn’t. It’s the little things that give it away - how she’ll quickly look away when their eyes meet instead of holding her gaze, or how she stutters more often than she used to, or how she tenses up every time Carole touches her, just for a moment, before relaxing again.

Carole isn’t sure if it’s a good sign or a bad one, but she’s positive that it’s a sign of  _ something. _

She doesn’t have a lot of time to think about it, however, since they’re busy practicing every single day. The two of them are going to be playing at the Cydonia festival again this year, and instead of being a last-minute replacement, they’re going to be in front of a crowd who actually  _ wants _ to listen to them. While they still don’t quite have the clout to be one of the headliners, they’re going to be the opening act for Crystal. They couldn’t quite believe it when they first got the news, but apparently Crystal herself had specifically requested them. So now they’re practicing furiously, every single day, desperately trying to ensure that they don’t repeat the disaster of their first performance there, and desperately hoping to impress their idol.

Tuesday stomps her foot.

Carole claps her hands.

They’re practicing their opening song, Round and Laundry, and Tuesday had the brilliant idea to start the song the same way they had originally come up with it in that laundromat. They would start off their setlist in a quiet, unusual way, stomping and clapping and humming, before Tuesday would launch them into the full song with a powerful strum on her guitar, grabbing the audience’s attention.

_ Always knew _

_ What I wanted to do _

_ But things just don’t go as smooth  _

They harmonize together, finally getting the transition just right after hours of practicing. Carole grins at their success, and continues playing. Her fingers dance effortlessly along the keys, the notes ingrained into her muscle memory at this point. She looks over at Tuesday as they begin the chorus.

_ Round and round, like dancing laundry _

Tuesday is swaying back and forth with the rhythm, her eyes closed and a bright smile on her face. She’s lit up by the sun streaming through the windows, hitting the floor right where she’s standing. The light looks almost solid, catching on suspended particles of dust and creating a line of individual rays, as if a painter had left a row of soft yellow brushstrokes in the air. They stream around Tuesday, who stands right in the middle of all of them, the light brushing her hair and making the edges glow like a halo around her face. Carole’s mind drifts away from the music, playing on autopilot as she stares. God she’s so beautiful.

_ I had been, feeling lonely til’ when _

_ You came along that day _

As they launch into the final chorus, Tuesday finally opens her eyes and notices Carole staring. She flinches, just the tiniest bit, and looks away for a split second before looking back and meeting Carole’s stare, a slight blush on her face. They look into one another’s eyes, trying to read something that they both desperately hope is there. When they sing the final lines, their voices are far softer and more intimate than the song is supposed to be.

_ It’s you and me, that’s all we need _

_ You were the missing puzzle piece _

Even as the last notes fade out, they keep looking at one another. The room has gone quiet, but Carole barely notices. After one vast, infinite moment, she blinks, and the spell is broken.

“I think we’ve got that one down pretty much perfect, don’t you?” she asks, her voice still soft and quiet. Tuesday giggles nervously and looks down, tugging and twirling a lock of hair between her restless fingers.

“Yeah, I think so.”

* * *

 

There isn’t any other experience quite like performing in front of a massive crowd. In the back of her mind, Carole is theoretically aware that this performance is less important to their career than the songs they played at Mars’ Brightest, but her brain refuses to accept that information. Playing in front of a studio audience is one thing. Playing in front of crowd of one hundred thousand people, every single one of them watching you, cheering and screaming and dancing in an overwhelming, cacophonous roar of energy, is something entirely different.

It wasn’t too awful at first - there were a lot of people, but they’re here for the main act, not for them, so their excitement isn’t too high. But then Crystal came onstage, and the attention of the crowd hit them in a wave that felt almost physical. For the first song of her set, Crystal performed alongside Carole and Tuesday, the three of them singing together. She hadn’t quite believed it was real when Crystal first proposed it in the weeks leading up to the festival, but now that it’s actually happening, the roar of the crowd floods through Carole’s body like fire.

It feels like she’s high. There’s too much adrenaline, too much emotion, too much noise, and all of it is joyous and terrifying and exciting and nerve-wracking all at once, until she seems to exist in two states at once, acutely aware of the roil of sensations going through her body, but simultaneously separate, apart, as if floating in a haze.

The performance is flawless.

“Let’s hear it one more time for Carole and Tuesday!” Crystal calls out, and the two of them wave to the audience, beaming smiles on their faces as another deafening wave of noise hits them. They bow, and then hurry off the stage so the main event can continue, exiting down a set of stairs into the backstage area. Carole takes Tuesday’s hand in her own as they run over to a platform by the side of the stage where they can view Crystal’s performance, separate from the rest of the audience. She’s breathing heavy, and giddy with excitement, and when she stops and looks at Tuesday’s face, she can tell that she’s going through the same thing.

They crash into each other in a fiercely joyous hug, clutching one another tight, tears streaming down their face as the cavalcade of emotions seeks an outlet. They’re crying and laughing at the same time, squeezing so hard it almost hurts.

They eventually pull apart, not leaving one another’s arms but loosening their grip and leaning back enough to see one another’s faces. Tuesday is smiling at her so brightly - that same, beautiful smile she always has, but wider and more radiant than ever before, and Carole feels another surge of warmth in her heart at the sight of her. Carole laughs, practically manic, trying to find something to say, but completely at a loss for words. Tuesday doesn’t say anything either. Her hands slide upward from where they were resting on Carole’s sides, and drift past her shoulders, brushing up her neck, cradling her face.

She pulls Carole forward, and their lips meet.

It’s not anything graceful. Both of them are shaking and clumsy in the aftermath of all that adrenaline. But it is gentle. It is honest. It is everything Carole had been hoping for, and in that moment it feels so obvious, so natural, as if this were inevitable, and could never have happened any other way. She sighs into the kiss, eyes fluttering closed, unable to focus on anything but the softness of Tuesday’s lips.

Carole’s hands wander, one brushing farther up to the center of Tuesday’s upper back, and the other coming to rest on her hip, gently pulling her body closer. Tuesday’s hands respond too, her right hand releasing its grip on Carole’s jaw and circling around to clasp the back of her neck. Tuesday’s lips part slightly, and Carole slots Tuesday’s bottom lip between her own, tugging on it ever so slightly, pulling a soft sigh out of her.

Their movements slow, and then stop, and they pull their lips away from one another, foreheads pressed together, looking in each other’s eyes. Carole’s breathing is heavy and slow. Tuesday’s hands are shaking. They stare at one another like that for a long moment without saying anything.

“You were amazing out there,” Tuesday says. Her voice is breathy, but not as quiet as a moment like this would normally call for, since the sounds of the concert would drown out anything too soft.

“I think that’s my line.”

“Is… is this okay?” Tuesday asks nervously. Carole just breaks out into laughter.

“Is it okay? God Tues, I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first day we met, yes, of course it’s okay.” She is breathless, and it feels like her heart might stop after how hard it has been beating all night. Tuesday closes her eyes and nods when she hears Carole’s reassurance, some of the tenseness leaving her arms. She pulls Tuesday back in for another kiss, slower this time, more self-assured now that they’ve already made the leap of faith. When she breaks away Tuesday frowns a little.

“Should we try to find Gus and Roddy? They probably want to celebrate.” Tuesday asks. Carole thinks for a moment, then grins and shakes her head. She takes a few steps back and relaxes against the railing behind her, pulling Tuesday in close against her side, one arm around her waist.

“Let’s just watch the show together.” Tuesday rests her head on Carole’s shoulder with a contented sigh. Carole presses a kiss to the top of Tuesday’s head. Tuesday giggles softly, and Carole feels it more than she hears it, the noise lost in the pulsing music. “They can wait.”

* * *

 

By the time they get back to the apartment, it’s almost three in the morning. Carole yawns and blinks the sleep from her eyes, still groggy from the nap she took on the ride home from the festival. She barely registers Gus and Roddy saying goodbye from the car behind them, grunting vaguely in acknowledgment before they drive off. Tuesday trails behind her, not looking any better than she is.

They drop their stuff in a pile by the door, not bothering to put anything away properly. Carole stretches her arms high above her head, dispelling the cramp in her muscles from sleeping at an odd angle in the back of the car. The sleep clears from her mind a little bit as she recovers from that ‘just woke up’ haze.

“We should probably change into our sleep clothes,” Tuesday mumbles. Carole groans, and complains in an exaggerated voice.

“Ugh, do we have to? I just want to pass out.”

“Yes, it has been a long day and we’re all sweaty and gross, I’m not letting you sleep in these clothes.” Tuesday reprimands her, with a fake seriousness on her face that is clearly hiding a laugh.

“Fine,” Carole concedes, and walks upstairs, grabbing her nightshirt from the drawer and getting changed. She heads back down to grab a glass of water before she goes to bed. As she fills her glass from the tap, she grins mischievously.

“Hey Tues, do you think Roddy and Gus have figured it out yet?”

Tuesday finishes pulling on her nightshirt and looks over at her quizzically. “Figured what out?” Carole rolls her eyes.

“That we’re together.” Carole drops down onto the couch and takes a long drink of water, setting the empty glass on the table. Tuesday has a conspiratorial smile on her face as she sits down next to her.

“I think Roddy might know. When you fell asleep leaning against me in the car he was kind of staring, but trying not to be obvious about it.”

“It’s not like we were being particularly subtle,” Carole concedes, “but we’ve always stuck really close together, so I don’t know if he would notice.”

“Gus definitely didn’t.”

Carole snorts, “Of course he didn’t.” She stands up and stretches one more time, before turning to head back upstairs to her bed. Before she reaches the stairs she pauses and looks back over her shoulder to watch Tuesday getting settled on the couch. “Hey, uh, hey Tues?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t have to keep sleeping on the couch if you don’t want.”

Tuesday doesn’t respond right away. There’s a few seconds of tense silence, Carole fidgeting with the hem of her nightshirt nervously, worrying that this might be too forward. But then Tuesday slowly gets off the couch and quickly steps over to Carole, a shy smile and a blush on her face as she takes her hand. Carole breathes out a sigh of relief and leads them upstairs.

She flops onto the bed, not bothering to get under the blankets given the heat of the day. Tuesday sits down next to her, taking Carole’s hand again and rubbing her thumb over the back of it. Carole sits up, and reaches out with her other hand, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Tuesday’s ear, brushing her fingers across her cheek.

“Can I?” she tentatively asks. Tuesday squeezes her hand tighter and nods. Carole leans in slowly and brings their lips together again, kissing her soft and sleepy and gentle. They go back and forth like that, kissing lightly, before Tuesday deepens the kiss. She brings her free hand over to Carole’s waist to pull her closer, pressing their lips together harder, and brushing her tongue lightly over Carole’s lower lip. Carole responds enthusiastically, letting Tuesday pull her in, swinging her leg around to straddle her hips. Her hands wander restlessly over Tuesday’s body, moving along her hips and her back and her thighs.

At some point they get so caught up that Tuesday slips and falls back, dragging Carole with her so that Carole is lying on top of her on the bed. The sudden movement jolts them apart, but not for long, as Carole presses kisses along Tuesday’s jaw and down to her neck. Tuesday gasps quietly and her hands squeeze tighter as Carole kisses harder along her pulse point. Soft sighs fill the air. Two hearts race in tandem. Little pleased noises keep escaping Tuesday’s lips, and Carole keeps going, determined to hear more of the beautiful sounds she’s making.

Her kisses trail down further, but she pauses when they reach a certain spot on Tuesday’s neck. The spot she had pointed to when she said that Cybelle had bit her. She pulls away, and Tuesday gives her a questioning look. Carole brushes her fingers over that spot, and Tuesday’s eyes widen as she realizes what Carole is thinking about. Their eyes meet.

“I want you to.” Tuesday murmurs, holding the back of Carole’s head and pulling her back in, utterly certain. Carole nods and leans back down into the crook of Tuesday’s neck. She dots feather-light kisses around the spot, circling it.

She bites, hard.

Tuesday whimpers, but her fingers clench tighter, pull Carole in closer, and the noise dissolves into a soft moan. Carole relinquishes the grip of her teeth, sucking on the spot with her lips for just a moment before brushing her tongue over it soothingly. She pulls back to admire her handiwork, seeing clear signs of a bruise in the process of forming. Tuesday brings her hand to Carole’s chin, tilting her head over so they’re looking in one another’s eyes. Tuesday’s breathing is heavy, and her eyes are lidded. They share a long look, one that feels meaningful, although neither of them could explain exactly what it means.

“Looks like I left a mark,” Carole says, her voice whisper-soft, touching the bruise gently with two fingers. Tuesday wraps her arms around Carole and pulls her in close, cuddling her, feeling her warmth and weight on top of her. A heavy sigh of relief leaves her lips.

“Good.” Carole rolls off of Tuesday and lies on her side, pulling Tuesday in so that she’s nestled up against her. Tuesday curls up and wriggles in closer with a satisfied hum. “I want them to see.”

“Yeah?” Carole cards her fingers through her soft hair, closing her eyes and letting the drowsiness seep back in.

“Yeah. I like feeling like I’m yours. Like the people I care about actually want me.”

Carole smiles. Hers. She likes the sound of that.

“My favorite girl,” she mutters, and Tuesday lets out a happy, sleepy little hum of approval. After one more soft kiss against the top of Tuesday’s head, she drifts off, and the apartment is silent again.


End file.
